Sleepless in Lucknow

A new year rumor that sleeping would turn you to stone in the night swept through Lucknow, prompting hundreds of people throughout the state to stay awake on Jan. 2 night.

The rumor flashed through cellphone messages and was even broadcast on a local television channel, prodding residents to rouse up sleeping relatives and friends. According to media reports, scores of people in housing colonies patrolled the streets and chanted slogans to stay awake in Lucknow.